OpenClaw Course on OpenClaw — Your Personal AI Assistant

Lesson 1. How OpenClaw Works Inside

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 1. How OpenClaw Works Inside#

Why you need this#

You already know how to use OpenClaw — send messages, connect channels, configure the assistant. But to solve non-standard problems and understand why something isn’t working, it’s helpful to know how the system works “under the hood.” It’s like understanding what a car is made of — not to become a mechanic, but to understand what’s happening.

Main components#

OpenClaw consists of several parts that work together:

Lesson 1. The OpenClaw Configuration File

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 1. The OpenClaw Configuration File#

Why you need this#

When you first start working with OpenClaw, everything works “out of the box” — with default settings. But sooner or later you’ll want to change something: connect a messenger, choose a different AI model, set up a schedule. For all of this, there’s the configuration file — a single file that stores all the parameters of your assistant.

It’s like a remote control: one file — and you control all of OpenClaw’s behavior.

Lesson 1. What is OpenClaw and Why Do You Need It

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 1. What is OpenClaw and Why Do You Need It#

Why this lesson?#

You’ve probably already heard about ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI assistants. You go to a website, type a question — and get an answer. Convenient? Yes. But there are limitations: everything only works in the browser, you can’t message the AI in your favorite messenger, and you have no control over how the assistant behaves.

OpenClaw solves these problems. Let’s figure out what it is.

Lesson 2. Choosing an AI Model

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 2. Choosing an AI Model#

Why you need this#

The AI model is the “brain” of your assistant. Different models vary in speed, response quality, and cost. OpenClaw lets you choose a model, switch between them, and set up automatic substitution if the primary model is unavailable.

It’s like choosing between different specialists: one is faster, another is more accurate, a third is cheaper. And you can switch between them at any time.

Lesson 2. Security

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 2. Security#

Why you need this#

An AI assistant can run commands on your computer: read files, launch programs, access the internet. This is powerful but also dangerous — the model can make mistakes or do something undesirable. OpenClaw offers three levels of protection so you stay in control.

Three levels of protection#

OpenClaw has three different (but related) security mechanisms:

1. Sandbox — WHERE commands are executed#

A sandbox is an isolated environment, like a room with no windows or doors. The assistant can do anything inside, but can’t reach the rest of the system.

Lesson 2. What You Need to Get Started

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 2. What You Need to Get Started#

Why this lesson?#

Before installing OpenClaw, you need to prepare your computer. Don’t worry — you only need to install one thing: Node.js. In this lesson, we’ll explain what it is and walk you through installing it on your system step by step.

What is Node.js?#

Node.js is a program that lets you run applications written in the JavaScript language. OpenClaw is written in JavaScript, so it won’t work without Node.js.

Lesson 3. Installing OpenClaw

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 3. Installing OpenClaw#

Why this lesson?#

Node.js is installed — great! Now it’s time to install OpenClaw itself. This is done with a single command in the terminal. But first, let’s understand what a terminal is and how to open it.

What is a terminal?#

Terminal (also called “command line” or “console”) is a program where you type text commands instead of clicking buttons with a mouse.

It’s like texting your computer: you write what needs to be done — it does it.

Lesson 3. Memory and Context

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 3. Memory and Context#

Why you need this#

Imagine talking to someone who forgets everything after an hour. Inconvenient, right? OpenClaw’s memory system solves this problem: the assistant remembers important things, keeps notes, and can recall what you talked about yesterday or last week.

Two key concepts: context and memory#

Context — “working memory”#

Context is everything the model sees right now in the current conversation. Every model has a limit — the context window (how much text it can “hold in its head” at once).

Lesson 3. Multiple Assistants

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 3. Multiple Assistants#

Why you need this#

Imagine having one secretary who handles both work and personal questions, and also talks to your family. Inconvenient. It’s better to split responsibilities: one assistant for work, another for home, a third for a public bot. In OpenClaw, this is called multi-agent — multiple isolated “brains” in one system.

What is an “agent”#

An agent is a fully independent assistant with its own:

Lesson 4. Assistant Tools

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 4. Assistant Tools#

Why you need this#

An AI model by itself can only generate text. But thanks to tools, your OpenClaw assistant can run commands on the computer, search the internet, control a browser, read and create files. Tools turn the assistant from a “talking head” into a real helper that takes action.

What tools are available#

🖥️ exec — running commands#

What it does: runs commands in the terminal (command line) of your computer.

Lesson 4. Creating Plugins

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 4. Creating Plugins#

Why you need this#

A plugin is an “add-on” for OpenClaw that adds new capabilities: tools, communication channels, commands. If the basic features aren’t enough, you can install a ready-made plugin or create your own. It’s like apps on your phone — basic features are there, but the App Store makes the phone truly useful.

What plugins can do#

Plugins can add:

Tools for the assistant (e.g., voice calls)
Communication channels (new messengers)
CLI commands (new text commands)
Background services (run continuously)
Skills (instructions for the assistant)
Auto-responses to slash commands (without calling AI)

Installing ready-made plugins#

View installed plugins#

openclaw plugins list

Install from npm#

openclaw plugins install @openclaw/voice-call

Enable/disable#

openclaw plugins enable voice-call
openclaw plugins disable voice-call

After changes, you need to restart Gateway:

Lesson 4. First Launch and Setup

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 4. First Launch and Setup#

Why this lesson?#

OpenClaw is installed — now you need to set it up. You’ll connect an AI model (Claude or GPT), start the Gateway, and have your first conversation with the assistant. Sounds complicated? It’s actually not: OpenClaw has a setup wizard that will guide you step by step.

Step 1. Launch the setup wizard#

Open a terminal and type:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

What this command means:

Lesson 5. Connecting a Messenger

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 5. Connecting a Messenger#

Why this lesson?#

So far, we’ve been chatting with AI through the web interface or terminal. But the real magic of OpenClaw is the ability to message the assistant directly in Telegram or WhatsApp, like a regular contact. In this lesson, we’ll set that up.

Option A: Connecting Telegram#

Telegram is the easiest way to connect a messenger to OpenClaw. You’ll create a bot in Telegram and communicate with AI through it.

Lesson 5. Server Deployment (24/7)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 5. Server Deployment (24/7)#

Why You Need This#

If OpenClaw runs on your laptop, it shuts down when you close the lid. To keep your assistant available around the clock, you need to run it on a server — a computer that’s always on. This can be a rented cloud server for about $5/month.

Deployment Options#

Option	Difficulty	Cost	Best For
Hetzner VPS + Docker	Medium	~$5/mo	Most popular option
Fly.io	Low	~$5/mo	Quick start without SSH
Any VPS	Medium	$3-10/mo	DigitalOcean, Oracle, etc.
Home server	High	$0	Raspberry Pi, old PC

Option 1: Hetzner VPS + Docker (Recommended)#

What You Need#

An account at hetzner.com
Basic familiarity with the terminal
~20 minutes

Step 1. Rent a Server#

On Hetzner, choose the cheapest VPS with Ubuntu or Debian. The minimum configuration will do.

Lesson 5. Skills

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 5. Skills#

Why you need this#

Tools (from the previous lesson) are the assistant’s capabilities. Skills are instructions on how to properly use those capabilities for specific tasks. A skill is a folder with an instruction file that teaches the assistant to do something specific: generate images, work with a calendar, write code in a particular language.

Think of skills as “professional development courses” for your assistant.

How a skill works#

Each skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file. This file contains:

Lesson 6. Automation

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 6. Automation#

Why you need this#

Until now, we’ve been communicating with the assistant on demand — sent a message, got a response. But OpenClaw can work on its own: check email on a schedule, send a morning summary every day, react to events. Automation turns the assistant from a “conversationalist” into a truly autonomous helper that works while you sleep.

Four automation mechanisms#

Mechanism	Purpose	Analogy
Heartbeat (pulse)	Periodic checks	An alarm that goes off every 30 minutes
Cron	Scheduled tasks	A planner with scheduled activities
Webhooks	Reaction to external events	A doorbell — someone arrives, the assistant reacts
Hooks	Reaction to internal events	An answering machine — triggered by a specific event

Heartbeat — the assistant’s “pulse”#

Heartbeat is the assistant periodically “waking up.” Every N minutes it wakes up, checks the situation, and decides if it needs to tell you something.

Lesson 6. Remote Access

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 6. Remote Access#

Why You Need This#

You’ve deployed OpenClaw on a server (Lesson 5). But how do you manage it from your laptop or phone? How do you securely connect to a Gateway running on another machine? In this lesson, we’ll cover remote access methods — from a simple SSH tunnel to modern Tailscale.

The Golden Rule of Security#

Keep the Gateway on loopback — let it listen only on 127.0.0.1 (itself), and provide external access through a secure tunnel.

Lesson 6. Setting Up the Assistant's Personality

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 6. Setting Up the Assistant’s Personality#

Why this lesson?#

Right now your assistant works, but it communicates in a “standard” way — like a regular ChatGPT. But what if you want it to:

Introduce itself by a specific name?
Communicate in a specific style — formal, friendly, with humor?
Know about you — your name, time zone, preferences?
Follow specific rules?

All of this is configured through text files in the OpenClaw workspace folder. Let’s go through each of them.

Lesson 7. Contributing to the Project

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 7. Contributing to the Project#

Why You Need This#

OpenClaw is an open source project. This means anyone can look at how it works, suggest improvements, or fix bugs. Even if you’re not a programmer, you can help — for example, by reporting a bug, improving documentation, or translating the interface.

What You Need to Get Started#

An account on GitHub (free)
Installed programs: Git, Node.js (version 22+), pnpm
Basic understanding of the terminal (command line)

Git is a version control system that tracks all changes in the code.
Node.js is a runtime for JavaScript programs.
pnpm is a package manager (installs project dependencies).

Lesson 7. Mobile Devices (Nodes)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 7. Mobile Devices (Nodes)#

Why you need this#

Imagine: your OpenClaw assistant runs on a server or home computer. And you want it to take a photo through your phone’s camera, show you an interactive panel on screen, or find out your location. That’s what Nodes are for — connected devices that extend the assistant’s capabilities.

A Node is a phone, tablet, or another computer connected to your OpenClaw. Through nodes, the assistant gets “eyes,” “ears,” and “hands” in the physical world.